Mailer type business forms which utilize pressure sensitive cohesive are becoming increasingly popular. Pressure sensitive cohesive in its commercial form typically is a styrene-natural rubber copolymer composition, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,918,128 and 5,427,851. Various other forms that the pressure sensitive cohesive may take, including commercial formulations thereof, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,464 (the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein). In the utilization of the mailer type business form intermediate which includes a pressure cohesive, cooperating patterns of cohesive are provided on cooperating faces of the intermediate which are folded into contact with each other. The mailer so formed is then run through conventional Moore SPEEDISEALER.RTM. pressure seal equipment (as generally illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,427) so that a pressure of about 100-200 pounds per lineal inch is applied to the cohesive, to provide secure adhesion of the formed panels together. The pressure sensitive cohesive has numerous advantages over conventional heat seal adhesive and rewettable adhesive.
While mailer type business forms with pressure sensitive cohesive are extremely successful, there can be problems associated with blocking (that is where the cohesive patterns from one form engage cohesive patterns from another form when in a fan-folded, stacked, or roll configuration and cause some sticking), which can cause tearing or improper feeding of the forms. This is accounted for by providing particular configurations, and spacings, of the pressure sensitive cohesive patterns for a number of different types of forms such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,670 and co-pending applications Ser. No. 08/935,770 filed Sep. 23, 1997, and Ser. No. 09/005,824 filed Jan. 12, 1998. While the disclosures in the last mentioned patent documents overcome the problem of blocking with respect to a variety of configurations of business form intermediates, those business forms do not have integrally formed reply envelopes associated therewith. When an integrally formed reply envelope is associated with the intermediate (such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,774), special care needs to be taken.
According to the present invention a mailer type business form intermediate, and mailer type business forms made from the intermediate, are provided which essentially eliminate the problem of blocking when intermediates are fan-folded with respect to each other. This is accomplished by configuring, dimensioning, and positioning the cohesive patterns forming the reply envelope in a particular manner so that essentially they do not overlap (at least not to any significant extent) when the intermediates are in a fan-folded configuration. The preferred way that this can be accomplished is by spacing first and second lines of pressure sensitive cohesive elements forming one of the edges of the reply mailer so that they are spaced from each other both in a dimension parallel to the edge of the reply envelope that they form, and also perpendicular thereto. The invention is particularly useful in the construction of Z-fold mailer type business forms (both conventional Z-folded, and eccentric Z-folded), but also is applicable to simple V-fold constructions, or to C-fold constructions.
According to one aspect of the present invention a mailer type business form intermediate, including a reply envelope, is provided comprising the following elements: A substantially quadrate sheet of paper having first and second faces, top and bottom (end) edges substantially parallel to each other, and first and second side edges substantially perpendicular to the top and bottom edges and substantially parallel to each other. First and second lines of weakness formed in the sheet adjacent, but spaced from and substantially parallel to, the first and second side edges, respectively, to define first and second removable side margin portions. A first fold line formed in the sheet substantially parallel to the top and bottom edges, and defining the sheet into panels on opposite sides thereof. A pattern of pressure activated cohesive in each of the removable side margin portions on at least the second face, the first pattern on the first and second faces being configured and dimensioned to substantially prevent blocking when the intermediate is laid face-to-face with other intermediates in a fan-fold configuration. A second pattern of pressure activated cohesive formed in the panels on opposite sides of the first fold line for defining three edges of a reply envelope, the second pattern of pressure activated adhesive configured, dimensioned, and positioned so that blocking is substantially avoided when the intermediate is brought into face-to-face engagement with other intermediates in a fan-fold configuration. And, an activatable pattern of adhesive provided on one of the panels of the second face to seal a fourth edge of the reply envelope distinct from the first through third edges.
Preferably the mailer intermediate further comprises a third line of weakness substantially parallel to the first and second lines of weakness and extending through the panels, and defining with the second line of weakness removable stubs in both the panels, one of the removable stubs having the activatable adhesive thereon, and the third line of weakness defining the fourth edge of the reply envelope. The second pattern of pressure activated cohesive may comprise first and second longitudinal strips of cohesive provided on the second face in each of the panels and extending substantially parallel to the top and bottom edges and to each other, the first and second longitudinal strips in each of the panels spaced from the top and bottom edges and the first fold line so that when the sheet is folded about the first fold line to bring the second faces of the panels into contact with each other the first longitudinal strip of one panel is aligned with the first longitudinal strip of the other panel, and the second longitudinal strip of one panel is aligned with the second longitudinal strip of the other panel to define the first and third edges of the reply envelope.
The second pattern may further comprise a first series of spaced cohesive elements and a second series of spaced cohesive elements on panel second faces, the elements of each of the first and second series spaced from each other in a direction parallel to the side edges of the sheet, and the second series of elements also spaced from each other in a direction parallel to the sheet side edges; the first series spaced from the second series in a dimension parallel to the top and bottom edges, and the elements of the second series also spaced from the elements of the first series in a dimension parallel to the side edges of the sheet; and the first and second series of elements in one of the panels aligned respectively with the first and second series of elements in the other of the panels when the sheet is folded about the first fold line with the second faces of the panels brought into contact with each other. The first and second series of elements may comprise quadrate spots of pressure activated cohesive.
The intermediate may also comprise fourth and fifth lines of weakness parallel to the first fold line and straddling the first fold line, the first and second longitudinal strips of cohesive in both panels on the opposite side of the fourth and fifth lines of weaknesses from the first fold line, the fourth and fifth lines of weakness extending between the first and second lines of weakness. A second fold line may be formed in the sheet substantially parallel to the first fold line and defining the sheet into at least three panels, a first panel between the top edge and the first fold line, a second panel between the first fold line and the second fold line, and a third panel between the second fold line and the bottom edge, and the top and bottom edges spaced a first distance, and the side edges spaced a second distance, less than the first distance. The second fold line may be a line of weakness, and the first, second, and third panels may be of substantially the same size; and the intermediate may further comprise a third pattern of pressure sensitive adhesive provided on the first face in the second and third panels in the side margin portions sealing the first faces of the second and third panels together when the intermediate is Z-folded about the first and second fold lines.
Typically the activatable pattern of adhesive is provided on the second face of the stub of the second panel; and the intermediate further comprises outgoing address indicia imaged on the first face of the first panel and extending from one side of the third line of weakness to the other side of the third line of weakness and dimensioned so that when the stub of the first panel is removed and the stub of the second panel is folded over about the third line of weakness to bring the activatable pattern of adhesive into contact with the first face of the first panel, the stub of the second panel covers up any remaining outgoing address indicia on the first face of the first panel. Reply address indicia may be imaged on the first face of the second panel between the first and third lines of weakness. Address indicia corresponding to the outgoing address indicia may also be imaged on the first face of the second panel in a return address area of a reply envelope formed from the first and second panels, and confidentiality screening may be provided on the second face on each of the first through third panels.
The invention also relates to an intermediate as described above in combination with a plurality of other intermediates all connected along the top and bottom edges thereof, and in a fan-fold configuration so that the second faces of intermediates of a combination are in contact with second faces of other intermediates of a combination, and first faces of intermediates of a combination are in contact with the first faces of other intermediates of a combination, the intermediates being substantially devoid of cohesive blocking in the fan-folded configuration.
According to another aspect of the present invention a mailer type business form intermediate, including a reply envelope, is provided comprising the following elements: A substantially quadrate sheet of paper having first and second faces, top and bottom edges substantially parallel to each other, and first and second side edges substantially perpendicular to the top and bottom edges and substantially parallel to each other. First and second lines of weakness formed in the sheet adjacent, but spaced from and substantially parallel to, the first and second side edges, respectively, to define first and second removable side margin portions. A first fold line formed in the sheet substantially parallel to the top and bottom edges, and defining the sheet into panels on opposite sides thereof. A first pattern of pressure activated cohesive in each of the side margin portions on at least the second face. A second pattern of pressure activated cohesive provided on the second faces of two of the panels. An activatable pattern of adhesive provided on one of the panels of the second face to seal a fourth edge of the reply envelope distinct from the first through third edges. And, wherein the second pattern comprises a first series of spaced cohesive elements and a second series of spaced cohesive elements on the panel second faces, the elements of each of the first and second series spaced from each other in a direction parallel to the side edges of the sheet, and the second series of elements also spaced from each other in a direction parallel to the sheet side edges; the first series spaced from the second series in a dimension parallel to the top and bottom edges, and the elements of the second series also spaced from the elements of the first series in a dimension parallel to the side edges of the sheet; and the first and second series of elements in one of the panels aligned respectively with the first and second series of elements in the other of the panels when the sheet is folded about the first fold line with the second faces of the panels brought into contact with each other.
Preferably the mailer intermediate is constructed so that the second pattern of pressure activated cohesive also comprises first and second longitudinal strips of cohesive provided on the second faces in the panels and extending substantially parallel to the top and bottom edges and to each other, the first and second longitudinal strips in the panels spaced from the top and bottom edges and the first fold line so that when the sheet is folded about the first fold line to bring the second faces of the panels into contact with each other the first longitudinal strip of one panel is aligned with the first longitudinal strip of the other panel, and the second longitudinal strip of one panel is aligned with the second longitudinal strip of the other panel to define the first and third edges of the reply envelope. A third line of weakness may be provided substantially parallel to the first and second lines of weakness and extending through the panels, and defining with the second line of weakness removable stubs in both the panels, one of the removable stubs having the activatable adhesive thereon, and the third line of weakness defining the fourth edge of the reply envelope. The first and second series of elements may comprise quadrate spots of pressure activated cohesive.
A second fold line may be formed in the sheet substantially parallel to the first fold line and defining the sheet into at least three panels, a first panel between the top edge and the first fold line, a second panel between the first fold line and the second fold line, and a third panel between the second fold line and the bottom edge, and the top and bottom edges spaced a first distance, and the side edges spaced a second distance, less than the first distance.
The invention also relates to a business form formed by Z-folding any of the intermediates described above about the first and second fold lines thereof; or by V-folding a two-panel intermediate about the first fold line thereof so that the second faces of each panel are in contact with each other; or by C-folding an intermediate as described above about the first and second fold lines if the patterns of pressure activated cohesive and the outgoing address indicia, reply indicia, and the like, are properly configured and positioned.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a mailer type business form intermediate, and mailer formed therefrom, which includes a reply envelope, yet is substantially devoid of cohesive blocking when the intermediates are in a fan-folded configuration. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.